16 years

I am disappointed that Mario will have to leave before Valentine's Day. I am not sure why since we don't go overboard celebrating the holiday. But when I see other couples celebrating, I am sure I will be sad. Once when Mario was away in military training 11 years ago, a neighbor with 4 kids asked me to watch her kids so her and her husband could go out and celebrate Valentine's Day. I was a little offended. Why would she suggest I sit home and babysit and make Valentine's Day harder?! I would have probably offered to watch the kids, but to be asked was offensive to me. It bothered me so much that I packed Eric up and took him to Biloxi to see Mario for the weekend.

So, since we can't go to dinner for Valentine's, I suggested we celebrate our 16 year anniversary of when we met. We met on January 29, 1994 at a Single's Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida. It seems strange to even say 16 years ago. It has gone by so fast. I remember not feeling well and so I almost canceled going with my friends (who were both older, divorced or widowed women.) But Paul H. Dunn was the guest speaker and I had spent hours listening to his cassettes when I was a kid. So I didn't want to miss him. When we arrived at the church, the organizers gave the ladies a dance card to have filled out by the guys during the day. I was so shy so there was no way I was going to ask a guy to sign my card. At lunchtime, when I had no signatures, a friend gave my dance card to a stranger and asked him to help me get it filled up. I was so embarrassed when he made an announcement asking guys to come sign my card. I wanted to crawl in a hole.

Towards the end of lunch a couple of my friends from the Stake, Gloria and Nina, spotted Mario. They went to ask him to sign their dance cards. I walked up to talk to Gloria and Nina and somehow Mario ended up signing my card too. Later when we went into the chapel to listen to Paul H. Dunn, Mario spotted me and went and sat behind me (I had no clue he was purposely sitting behind me.)

Later at dinner, Mario claims that he saw me "checking him out." I really wasn't but I guess it is good he thought I was because then he was comfortable asking me to dance later that evening. I remember either Lori or Karen commenting in the hallway that my future husband could be at this Single's Conference. I didn't think too much of it. Most of the guys that were there were from the East Coast of Florida and spoke only Spanish. So communication was very awkward. When Mario finally asked me to dance, I was so relieved that he spoke English. We danced many times the rest of that evening. I drilled him with questions about his mission like "Did you watch rated R movies on your mission?" A weird question I know, but I had met several return missionaries from the stake that told me some of the forbidden things they did on their missions. So I wanted to make sure Mario wasn't like one of those other guys. I guess Mario wasn't overly offended by my questions because he asked for my phone number and called me the following Wednesday or Thursday.

After talking on the phone, we arranged for Mario to come up that weekend for our first date. Every weekend (except 1) Mario made the 2.5-3 hour trip to visit me. We dated until June and then married in the Washington DC Temple.

That's how it all began.

Clingy

Friends had warned me about what to expect before a deployment. Usually before Mario leaves for a big trip we don't get along well because we are both stressed. I thought that was how this time would be leading up to the deployment. But so far it has been the opposite.

Ever since he has returned from North Carolina I have been so clingy to him. It reminds me of how I felt when we were first married. I didn't even want to go to Relief Society because then we would be separated. Well, 15 1/2 years later, I feel like a newlywed again. I want to sit next to him on the couch, follow him around the house, and not go anywhere without him. I am trying to figure out why I am so clingy. Maybe part of it has to do with his friend still missing in Haiti. It sure makes me realize how short life really can be.

I keep asking him if I am bothering him and of course he is so sweet and says no. He says he hopes that I will be continue to be like this after he gets back and has been home for awhile. Unfortunately I will probably fall back into my old ways and get busy and take him for granted again. But I hope not. I love being around him. He is truly my best friend and there is not another person I would rather be around (yes I did write this, he didn't sneak on to my account again.)

Blog

Mario recommended that I start restricting access to my blog due to his upcoming deployment and the nature of his job. So if you will drop me an email or post a message on here with your email address letting me know that you do read my very boring blog, I will add your email address so you can still have access.

Kangaroos

Nathan and Zachary have always been jealous that our family visited Australia before they were born. They ask if we can go on another family vacation there. What they don't understand is that the only reason we were able to go to Australia is because we lived so close when we were stationed in Guam. It was only a four-hour flight. We could never afford to take all 6 of us back there from the mainland.

But in an effort to get Zach to behave, we told him a couple years ago that if he could go a whole year without screaming or yelling, we would take the whole family back to Australia. We were pretty confident that he wouldn't be able to go a whole year. But since I have gotten better with disciplining him, he has been doing pretty well. In fact, I don't think he has yelled or screamed for almost a week now. Last night at dinner I was telling him how well he was doing and how proud I was of him. Nathan quickly chimed in, "So we get to go see the kangaroos now!"

Fortunately for us, he has 51 more weeks to go! We may need a few more years to save up for that vacation, but it would be worth it. We loved our week in Cairns.

Abuela

Abuela passed away this afternoon. Michael called Mario this morning to let him know that her time was close. Mario said that he often prayed that his grandma would live until he was an adult. He has been so fortunate to have her until now. I hope that will comfort Mario.

Care Packages and Ice Cream Cone Maker

I ordered a lot of gifts from Amazon.com for Christmas. Usually we just recycle all the boxes but this year, Mario kept all of them. I asked what for, and he said they were for me to use to send him care packages to Afghanistan. I thought that was funny because I didn't send him a single care package 12 years ago when he was at OTS. In fact, his roommate's girlfriend would send extra to her boyfriend to share with Mario because she felt bad for him. I know, I am an unthoughtful wife. I did write him and talk to him almost daily though.

So yesterday I asked Mario to go to the post office for me. He returned with more boxes. I asked him if he would like to spend the day shopping for stuff for me to put in these boxes. He could make his own care packages and then I can mail them periodically (or weekly as Mario suggested.) Mario laughed at my suggestion. So I am looking for ideas on what to send him. I told him each package will be filled with about a ream's worth of paper because the boys like to make him tons of cards and pictures.

I saw on a friend's blog that there are waffle cone makers similar to waffle makers. I thought a waffle cone maker would go well with Mario's ice cream maker. Plus I don't normally buy ice cream cones because of the transfat in the cones. So this would be a perfect early Valentines, birthday, or anniversary gift for Mario to use before his deployment. The kids and I were excited about surprising Mario with it when he returned from Charlotte. But Zach said first thing, "Did you show dad his ice cream cone maker yet?" So much for a surprise. We tested it out last night and wow, it is awesome. It was so easy to use and the cones were huge and very yummy. Mario loved his gift and so did the rest of the family.

Another update

Fortunately Mario was able to make it to see Abuela and spend a couple days with her. He arrived at the airport at midnight and was able to get a rental car after all. He went directly to the hospital and was able to spend the night with Abuela and he sent Michael home to get some sleep. Mario had a plane ticket to fly back at 1 that afternoon. But he was struggling with the decision to try to stay longer or come home and see us since he has already been gone almost 2 weeks and leaving for his deployment soon. Mario decided to come home. He turned in his rental car but when he got up to the ticket counter at the airport, he asked the agent about changing his flight to Monday. She was able to give him a new ticket (direct flight instead of a layover like he originally had) for Monday evening at no extra cost. Again, he was wearing his uniform, so I wonder if that made a difference. He rushed back to Alamo and got his car back.

Poor Mario, it has been a real emotional strain on him. He feels so bad not spending more time with his grandma but also is anxious to get back home. I felt so bad for him having to make that hard decision. His father who is an accountant was getting behind on his payroll and taxes. So Mario made the right choice and stayed an extra day so his dad could get some sleep and meet all his deadlines at work. Plus he had an extra day to spend with his grandma.

Unfortunately it looks like Mario will be flying back before Abuela dies. I know that is going to be very hard on him. She is living longer than the doctors thought but she is getting worse and she wants to die. She keeps asking why she can't just die now. Hospice came in and wanted to move her to a cheaper facility but Mario and his dad don't want to move her. So Michael will have to be the one to take up the fight with them.

I feel bad that Michael will have to return home to an empty home everyday. I know that will be difficult for him. Maybe I should be nicer to my kids so at least one of them will take care of me if I outlive Mario. I doubt I will outlive him though since his grandparents both lived into their 90's. Hopefully he got their genes.

Update on Abuela

I got a call this morning from Michael that Abuela wasn't doing well and not expected to make it through the weekend. He had tried to contact Mario in Wyoming but only got voicemail. When I finally got a hold of Mario, he quickly started the 3-4 hour drive to Denver to get a flight out to Charlotte. So now Mario is on a race against time to get there before Abuela dies. We doesn't land in Charlotte until midnight and all the rental cars close at midnight. So he will have to get a taxi to take him to the hospital since he doesn't want his dad to leave his grandma alone. I hope he makes it in time.

Mario called me from his layover in Chicago. He usually flies American Airlines for all his work travel but he is flying United because it is on our dime and they were the cheapest. Mario was going on and on telling me how nice United was on the first flight. They didn't charge him to check bags, they offered him free food. Then on the second flight, they upgraded him to first class. He has never flown first class before and so he was so excited. I think the reason they are being so nice is because he is in uniform since he didn't have time to change from his combat training, plus he only has one pair of civilian clothes and they were dirty. I think he may want to fly in uniform from now on.

He is only staying until 1 pm tomorrow afternoon. He has to fly back to Denver to catch his military flight home. So my excitement to see him a day early was short lived. But I am glad he has the chance to see his grandma one last time. He is going to be emotionally and physically drained by time he finally gets home and to add to the worries, we still haven't heard anything about his friend Ken in Haiti.

Haiti Earthquake

Mario was watching the news when he heard the name of a friend of his from Naval Post Graduate School. Ken is one of those missing in Haiti. Mario kept in touch with Ken since graduation and often called him for advice or help. Ken had traveled to Haiti for an Air Force Assignment and checked into the hotel and emailed his wife just before the earthquake hit. His hotel was completely destroyed so Ken is believed to be trapped. The crazy thing is that Mario thought about trying to get this job in Miami, but instead went for the job in Tucson. So this could have easily been Mario in Haiti. Mario called to ask me to pray for Ken, his wife, and his small children.

On a brighter note, Mario is coming home from Wyoming one day early. He is catching a flight tomorrow night and will be home by 9 pm.

Abuela

I got a call yesterday afternoon from Mario asking if I had spoken to his dad. I hadn't and so Mario told me that his grandma (Abuela) was in the hospital with heart failure. She just turned 94 last month and so my initial thought were that I was excited for her to have the opportunity to leave this earth and be reunited with her husband and siblings that she misses so much. Of course I was sad for Mario and his dad. She has been a mother to not only Michael but also to Mario since she and Abuelo spent many years raising him. I am most appreciative to her and her love that she has for Mario and also me and our children.

So as I waited to get word on her condition, I started to recall some memories of Abuela. I met her while Mario and I were dating. She and Abuelo lived in Little Havana (Miami) in a tiny one bedroom apartment. She spoke just a little English. Whenever we would visit, she would make Mario all his favorite Cuban food. Unfortunately I am not a very cultured person and so not a big fan of anything but American food. One of Mario's favorites is fried plantains. I hate fried plantains and so whenever I was at her house I would eat those first to "get it over with." Mario would tell his grandma that I loved them and wanted more. Of course this was all in Spanish and so I didn't understand a word of it. So she would quickly come serve me more. I think it took several visits for me to figure out this little joke Mario was playing on me. Fortunately she would always go get Mario's favorite dessert when we visited...pound cake and ice cream. So I always had dessert to look forward to.

Mario's grandfather loved going to a certain steak house (I can't remember the name) for a special treat. Once he took Mario and I out to dinner. I was so embarrassed because Abuela stuffed fruit from the salad bar into her purse to take home for later. Maybe that's where Mario gets the stuffing fruit into his big cargo pockets when we are eating breakfast at hotels.

Once some of Abuela's siblings were coming to visit Mario and I when we were living in Tampa. Abuela asked Mario if I had cleaned the house before they came to visit. I was a bit offended. I usually keep my house pretty clean. But that was just her personality. She is equivalent to a mother-in-law for me and so if that is the most offensive thing she could say, then that's not so bad.

Another favorite memory is Abuela visiting us when Eric was a toddler. Eric had a little wheelbarrow and he would have Abuela push him around in it. This poor 80+ year old lady would be all hunched over wheeling him around. I also remember making her oatmeal everyday that she visited. One day I made Eric something else for breakfast and she questioned why I wouldn't give him oatmeal everyday.

Abuela would often make me sweaters. I never was fond of the sweaters but I didn't want to offend her and ask her to stop making them. So once I saw a beautiful tablecloth that she made and I asked her if she could make me one of those. I felt so bad after asking her because I had no idea how much work was involved. Once she made it, I rarely used it in fear that I would stain it. I really need to get it out and buy a plastic tablecloth to put on top of it.

Abuela loved serving her husband. It was obvious that they loved one another so much. It was heartbreaking when he passed away almost 12 years ago. I thought for sure she would pass away shortly after he did.

Whenever we would visit she would hand Mario some cash when we left. I knew that she hardly spent a dime on herself so she could save and give it to us. We were poor college students at that time, but we had so much more than she did. I felt so bad accepting the money but she always insisted. When we moved to Guam, she started sending checks in the mail. She would reuse paper towels and then send us her extra money. I felt like we were the ones that should have been sending her money.

Mario tries to call his grandma at least once a week and usually on Sundays. I often hear Mario telling her (in Spanish) what we have had for dinner. I asked Mario a long time ago why he is always telling her what we had for dinner. He said because she is checking up to see if I am feeding him. He jokingly always tells me that he told her we had cereal again for dinner.

I often tease Mario that his grandma doesn't like me and that she wishes he would have married a Cuban girl. Of course I know that isn't true. She is so happy that Mario and I have been so happy together. I think she would have been slightly happier if we would have given some of our children Hispanic names. She isn't fond of any of the kids' names....which leads me to another memory....When I was pregnant with Eric, I wanted twins sooo bad. So I was coming up with all these twin names like Eric and Erin. When we found out it was only 1 boy, we named him Eric. But then when I had a baby girl next, Mario wanted to name her Erin still. I wanted Stephanie after my grandma. Mario won out. When his grandma complained about the name, Mario told her (in Spanish) that it was my choice to name her Erin. I think she dislikes Zachary's name the most but this time I really did name him.

Even though she doesn't like our choices in baby names, she has always loved her great-grandchildren. So at least she doesn't hold it against them that they aren't named Francisco, Pedro, Sofia, or Maria.

This morning I called Michael to get an update. She is feeling much better. She is eating well and even able to talk to Mario a couple times on the phone. The doctors are saying that she can probably go home in a few days. I really don't know why she is holding on any longer. If I were her, I would have wanted to go years ago. But for Mario's sake, I am glad she is hanging around at least a little longer. And contrary to what it may sound like from my blog, I really do love Abuela. After rereading it, I may have come off not liking her, but I really do.

Going Smoothly

If life is this good while Mario is deployed, then the kids and I should survive just fine. I am so thankful that my kids are all in school (at least for 3 hours anyway). I was thinking back to when the twins were infants and we were living in Hawaii. Mario had to go back to the mainland for 5 or 6 weeks for Squadron Officer School. I don't remember that time being difficult even though I had a 6 and 4 year-old and twins under 1. It probably helped that I lived in a great neighborhood and got a lot of adult interaction during the day and how can I forget...I was living in paradise!

Anyway, I was thinking that if that 5 weeks wasn't so bad (maybe my memory is failing me) I think that 6 months will be a piece of cake since my kids are all older and a lot more self- sufficient.

Monday night we put Mario on speaker phone so he could participate in our FHE lesson. The kids insisted that he sing "Once there was a Snowman" with us plus do the actions. I am sure he really didn't do the actions although he made it sound like he was. Actually knowing Mario, maybe he did do the actions for all his roommates to enjoy.

Yesterday was the most hectic day. I wanted to visit the local LDS store because it was having a big going out of business sale. But I had to rush back to take twins to school, then go VT, get kids from school, take Erin to Activity Day girls, make dinner, rush out to take boys to basketball, rush back to take Eric to Mutual. Last night Erin and I relaxed by sitting down and watching the American Idol auditions. I feel like so much of my time and energy is sucked up by Nathan and Zachary so it is so nice when I have some one-on-one time with Eric and Erin.

This morning, Eric complained of a headache (not a migraine). He has been wanting to stay home from school for a couple days now but always decides to go. This morning was different and he decided to stay home and work on his science fair project. I didn't object even though he didn't seem too sick. He is a good student who likes school. Once in awhile you just need a down day. So I am excited to get my one-on-one time with him when the twins go to school this afternoon.

My Goal

My new goal (besides losing those few extra pounds from Christmas..thank you Erin) is to reread Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr. Sally Shaywitz. I feel so bad that I have a skill that can benefit so many adults and children and I have neglected it for the last year. I loved volunteering at the school and teaching the kids because I didn't feel a lot of pressure to know everything there is to know about dyslexia. Parents weren't hiring me, I was just volunteering my time. Regardless if I volunteer or get paid, I need to get busy reviewing things that I have since forgotten. Mario of course would like me to get paid, but I feel it is better for me to serve those kids whose parents couldn't afford help any other way. Maybe there is a good middle ground and I need to find it.

Hopefully by writing it down, I will feel motivated to start right away. Really all I need to do is remember the joy I felt when the teachers would come tell me how much their students were improving because of the tutoring.

Update on Combat Training

Mario has one more week of training and he is really enjoying it. He was telling us about one of the aspects of training where they put you and 3 other guys in a Humvee. Then they flip it and you have to get yourself out. Sounds pretty easy but Mario said that it was much harder than he ever imagined and no wonder so many people drown when there car flips into a lake. He said that he was totally disoriented and couldn't find the seatbelt latch or the door handle. Mario estimated that it took him and the other guys at least a minute or two to get out. That scared me because if it were me and the kids in the car, there's probably no way I could save them (or myself...which I probably wouldn't want to anyway if my kids all drowned. I guess I better not think about this or I will have nightmares.)

The only time Mario was really cold was on Friday when they had a full day of shooting. Today he gets to learn how to clear a room. I guess that means he goes into a building and has to shoot at targets representing the bad guys. Mario said he has a much greater appreciation for the army after this training. He knows the army has training 100 times harder.

The kids and I are fairing well, actually better than expected. I have gotten along well with all four. Zach still tests me to see if I will be consistent. But so far, so good. Nathan asked me yesterday if dad was going to church in Wyoming. I told him no, he had to work. He said that he wishes he were dad so he didn't have to go to church because as he put it "I don't like church." When I told Mario this he said maybe we need to relax a little and when he gets too restless in Sacrament meeting take him out for a walk (I think Mario wouldn't mind getting out for a walk-right to the van for a snack.) That is the opposite of what I thought. Time for him to learn to sit reverently. In fact, I sat them all down on the couch before church and laid out some new ground rules for church. They always fight on who gets to sit by me. As much as I would rather sit by the big kids (because they are quiet), I have to sit between the twins so everyone else can enjoy the meeting. The twins bring paper to draw on after the Sacrament has been administered. They like to sit on the floor and use the bench as a desk. I think they are old enough to sit correctly now...bottoms on the bench, backs against the back of the pew. Maybe this is why Nathan told me he doesn't like church.

Science Fair Projects

Can I just say I hate Science Fair Projects?! First I bought the wrong size board-I thought they only came in 1 size. Eric picked a project that is interesting-Do playing violent video games affect your heart rate? Problem is, Eric doesn't play violent video games and so he has to find 10 friends who do and test them. Fortunately his teacher said he could only use E and Teen games (no mature games). He tested Mario and I but we weren't into the games at all so our heart rates didn't increase at all. Erin picked out a really cool project but her teacher rejected the idea and told her she had to compare 3 objects. She wasn't sure what to do so she decided to just see which kind of apple turns brown (oxidation) quickest. She wanted to research oxidation but her teacher wouldn't allow that either. So she and I are stuck with a project that is really boring to her. Hopefully next time she will think about it in advance and pick something that interests her (and get it approved by her teacher).

I can't say it enough-I hate science and science fair projects! Another example of why I would never be a good homeschool mom!

Proud Mom

I received an email that had "Eric and Matthew" in the subject line. It was from Eric's ELP teacher. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous to open it. Brought me back to those preschool days when I would get phone calls in the middle of the day telling me about Eric hitting or biting another child. I didn't want to answer my phone and I dreaded asking the teachers everyday about Eric's behavior. Here's proof that kids change, he is nothing like that 3 year-old preschooler now.

Anyway, back to the email. Here's a copy of what she sent me:

Hello,

I was just talking to Mrs. Emory, and we got on the topic of Eric and Matt. We both mentioned how they are bright boys. I told her that when they work together in my class, they come up with the most unique, and brilliant ways to solve problems and I am very often impressed. She said the same thing happens in her math class!

I just thought I'd let you all know that we think your boys are very smart kids!

Sarah Boeder

ELP/MathCounts

Desert Sky Middle School

While I'm bragging on my son, here's another email that I received from his teacher last year after we first transferred to Tucson:

Hi Perez family,

This is just a quick note to let you know how impressed I am with Eric's work so far. It's always tough joing a new school partway through the year, but Eric seems to be adapting quite well.

Thanks for sharing him with us!

Brent Edwards

Kids

How can kids be so different? Our four kids are so different from one another. The following are just some observations of each of them so I can look back and remember what they were like the start of 2010.

Eric is 12 and quickly turning into a teenager. Friends warned me that when he turned 12 he would withdraw from the family. I kept thinking Eric would be different. He is really attached to Mario and I. Eric has changed in some ways, but for the most part, being 12 hasn't been as bad as what my friends predicted. The other day I took the three younger kids to the skatepark after school. I knew Eric would be going over after he was out of school too. When he showed up, he hardly even made eye contact with me. I guess I might embarrass him and try to give him a hug or kiss or something that would totally ruin his whole life. But when we are home, he is likes to cuddle up next to me on the couch and watch or movie. Or he jumps at the opportunity to go to the grocery store with me. Overall, he is a sweet kid that loves his family very much. Example: last night Nathan was asleep and he fell off the bed. Eric quickly ran to his aid and then went to my room to get some overstuffed pillows to lay on the floor in case it happened again. He also heard a loud bang when Erin was taking a shower. He ran over to knock on the door and make sure she was alright.

Erin...When she was one or two, our Christmas letter stated that if we could guarantee all our kids would be like Erin, we'd have a dozen. That quickly changed when she hit 3. She threw too many temper tantrums to count. But something magical happened this past year and she has turned into a daughter that we wish we could clone. She cooks, she cleans, and she excels in everything she tries. I am not sure there's anything she can't do. She adores Nathan and loves to hang out with Eric. The only improvement I would ask from her is to be a little nicer to Zach. Lately, I have found her being a lot kinder, so she is working on it. She still has her moments that frustrate me, but those aren't very often anymore. She is an all around terrific kid. Mario and I think she is going to make one lucky young man very happy (and fat) one day.

Nathan...He is a lot of fun to have around. He makes us all laugh. He loves Pooh Bear, but if we could describe his personality he would be a little more like Eeyore. We need to work on the glass being half full instead of half empty. Nathan cracks us up with things that he says. For example, I found a good deal on a Didj (gaming system) like Zach's. I asked Nathan if he would like to spend his Christmas money on it. He said no, he didn't want one. Then a few days later, he decided he really did want one and asked me why I wouldn't let him buy one. Times like that I want to pull my hair out. Finally I took him back to the store (I thought for sure they would be sold out since it was such a good deal.) Now he didn't have enough money for the Didj and the game so Zach agreed to pay for the game and share with Nathan. Nathan liked the idea until the transaction was all over and then he wanted the game too. I told him that he didn't have enough money. So he said, "I guess my Didj is just for decoration then." So dramatic but always good for a laugh from the family.

Zachary...Zach was born thinking he would rule our home. For 6 years he has tried, but that time is over. I bought a book called "The Strong Willed Child" by Dobson. After reading that book, I was convinced that I was the boss and Zachary was just going to have to accept it even if it meant some tough discipline from me. With Mario deploying, I needed to take control. Zach had a rough couple days, but I think he is finally realizing that I mean what I say. I just have to be consistent and stay on top of him. But I adore Zach (as I do all the kids). I always wanted to have a little boy named Zachary. He takes every opportunity to sleep with me when Mario is out of town. He loves animals, especially our dog Buzz. He wants to be a veterinarian but isn't sure he wants to treat cats. :) He recently started asking for his own dog. So we told him that he could call Buzz his own. He loves telling everyone in the family that Buzz belongs to him which makes us all laugh since Buzz has been part of our family for almost 10 years now. But the kids don't complain because then Zach gets the chores of feeding him and taking him outside.

Another observation about Nathan and Zachary is that they almost never get in any trouble when they are separated. They feed off each other whenever we go anywhere. I often think they revert back to acting like 3 year olds. But when we take them out one-on-one, they are perfectly behaved children. That is the reason Mario and I try to separate them as much as possible when running errands or going on small trips to see Abuela.

Combat Training

Mario left for Wyoming yesterday. He will attend AF combat training for 10 days. We looked up the weather for Wyoming before he left. They are having a cold front. The high was going to be 11 degrees Wednesday. Mario was starting to panic a little, but then he made contact with someone up there and they told him if it is too cold, they just move training indoors. I wonder if the army moves training indoors when it is too cold! :) Of course it is a lot of fun to make fun of the Air Force. But, I am so glad Mario joined the Air Force and not any of the other services.

Mario had to fly into Denver and then board one of 3 school buses for the 4 hour drive to Wyoming. Unfortunately they were experiencing heavy snow so the travel took a lot longer than they thought. Mario texted me after 11 pm to tell me that he finally arrived.

Now time will tell how intense this combat training will be. I am guessing not too intense since the Air Force isn't involved in ground combat. But Mario will have to carry a 9mm with him at all times in Afghanistan. Fortunately he will be working a desk job at NATO. Mario was so relieved to talk to the guy he is replacing and find out the job isn't intense, the boss is nice, and he will have some time off to work out, go to church, and call home. Fortunately, he won't have to do any traveling with the boss. That was a concern of mine, that he would be constantly traveling around Afghanistan.

Peace

Mario and I realized late Saturday night that it was Fast Sunday. We had not prepared for it by making sure we had drank enough water throughout the day. I thought about not fasting or possibly just fasting from food because I was worried about being dehydrated. But I need the blessings from fasting and praying because of Mario's upcoming deployment. I fasted that I would feel peace as I face these next couple months.

Yesterday (Monday) I felt so much peace about Mario's deployment. I was feeling pretty lucky that it is only 6 months and not 18 months like the army. I also was feeling pretty lucky that he is going to as safe as a place as possible in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Mario wasn't feeling the same peace yesterday. Before bed I was telling him that I was feeling good about everything. He said, "Wow, that fast really worked for you." It clicked, he was right, that is exactly why things had turned around for me. I felt so bad that I hadn't recognized that earlier. It was another example that Heavenly Father is well aware of me and my needs. I am so thankful for the opportunity to fast and receive answers to my prayers.

Sleeping In

Since having Eric twelve years ago, I have not slept in. He was often up at 5 in the morning. Then the next 3 kids came and none of them slept in either. I am lucky when they sleep until 6:30. But in their defense, I put them to bed very early. Even on Saturdays, sometimes the entire family is up and has eaten breakfast by 7 am.

But at the start of the kids' Christmas break, I was sick. So I slept in each morning. Zach gave up getting up early because he doesn't like being up by himself. The other 3 kids started sleeping in too. It has been so relaxing.

But yesterday we went to the temple. We decided to leave by 7 am because it is a 2 hour drive. I woke the kids up at 6:15. None of them complained (which I was expecting) but they did ask questions like, "Can I bring my pillow and blanket so I can go back to sleep in the car?" and "Will it still be in the middle of the night when we get to the temple?"

What a difference from 2 weeks ago! Tomorrow morning should be fun...first day back to school. I wish we could go back to sleeping in over the summer but it is light out at 5 am so that probably won't happen unless I buy them dark shades for their windows.

Trail Ride

Erin and Mario enjoyed a nice trail ride (thanks to Zach's Christmas present) through the Saguaro Desert last Saturday. They had a great time. Erin's only complaint was that her horse wasn't well groomed like the last time she went riding. But Grandma says horses usually don't look great in the winter. Erin continues to beg for a horse but Mario and find the trail rides a much cheaper alternative.

Happy New Year

To be honest, I have been dreading 2010 because of Mario's upcoming deployment. I jokingly was imitating Nathan (he frequently tells us things are the worst ever) and told Mario that "2010 is the worst year ever." I felt bad after saying that because that only makes it harder for him too. So now I am determined to make it the best year ever and focus more on the great things that will happen this year.

I printed out a 2010 calendar this morning and wrote on it the things we have to look forward to. I realized that if we just focus on a couple months at a time, that will really help time go faster and give us things to look forward to. In March, we get to go to Florida for a week. The big kids haven't been to Florida for 3 years, the twins and I for 2 years. In June, we will go to San Diego and stay at Camp Pendleton. I am already looking forward to boogie boarding with the kids and making smores. In August, Mario comes home and in late September or early October we plan to return to Florida for a big family trip. Then of course, Christmas next December.

Another thing that I have done to help me through the deployment is purchase a piece of artwork that really touched me the first time I saw it. It is called "Sweet Hour of Prayer" by Emily Dyches. I really wanted to buy it the first time I saw it, but I already was buying another painting (Simon Dewey's "His Name Shall be Called Wonderful") for Mario that he has been asking for. But when it came up on sale for 50% off this week, I couldn't resist. I have it hanging above the fireplace where I can see it while I am in the kitchen (where I spend most of my time with 4 hungry children.) This painting brings me a lot of peace. I am grateful for all those men and women that are fighting on the front lines to keep our country safe and free.